Your feelings on the term "bankster"

[Ken Burch]

[DireStrike]

1. Other other

Doesn't sound menacing enough.

Crap wait, that was the FIRST other. Can I change my vote?

[Ken Burch]

2. Too late, dude. Diebold's doing the counting.

n/t.

[Ken Burch]

4. What would be your alternate suggestion, btw?

In the late Seventies, the term "corporados" was being used for awhile.

[DireStrike]

5. I dunno yet.

I'm not great at coming up with such things, historically. I'll let you know if anything comes up!

[Ken Burch]

6. OK.

Let the Power Of The Hedgehog be your guide.

[Skink]

10. Bankmeister.

banksterama, bankapalooza, bankmanJack.

[jp11]

3. I like Robber Baron has historic value.

[dkf]

7. Just pls don't call the average bank teller a bankster

That should be reserved for people who get huge bonuses.

[Ken Burch]

8. That's why I used the phrase "and those who manage it".

Sorry if my exemption of the support staff wasn't as clear as it could have been.

[dkf]

9. Oh I wasn't aiming that at you.

I was shocked earlier when the Greek bank bombing was said to be aimed at banksters when some tellers got killed. I wanted to point this out specifically.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. How about my ATM, can I insult that?

Nobody that I know of here or elsewhere has used that term to refer to a teller, nor has anyone misconstrued the term, to my knowledge, as referring to the people who work at the bank. Your concern is in fact the very first time I have seen this view.

[dkf]

14. I was shocked when I saw that too. It never would have occurred to me if I hadn't

Seen it on this board. Just one person though. It's probably an anomaly.

[U4ikLefty]

11. What about Bankler?

They provide Finazi Services.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Great penetrating meme!

conveys the essence of what has happened to our republic.

[HughMoran]

15. As soon as I read it, I stop reading the post

I'm sick of all these cutesy terms that people think are clever. Most of them are shortcuts to a real argument and are designed to shutdown legitimate dialog. If you don't understand why that is, don't ask me - you'll never understand.

[Ken Burch]

16. The thing is, would anybody who gets touchy about the terms used

for the exploiters in the financial industry be open to anything resembling dialogue?

The other point is...why should the leader of that sector be spoken of with ANY respect? It's not as if we can't live without them. We might, in fact, do better making the country's financial and economic decisions ourselves. We certainly couldn't do worse.

[fujiyama]

17. I just dislike portmanteau words in general

[Ken Burch]

19. OK.

n/t.

[TheKentuckian]

18. I use robberbaron but bankster is fine by me

maybe robberbaron with it's old timey flavor is too respectable for the current bunch of criminals.

[laughingliberal]

20. I like robber baron but use 'bankster' for the sake of brevity. nt

[upi402]

21. Lohan doing time almost got me! But Martha Stewart had that bunk already. n/t

[Ken Burch]

28. Lindsay will be snorting the bunk.

n/t.

[blindpig]

22. Other: It is inadequate.

It implies that 'bad actors' are the reason for all of the shenanigans, whereas the problem is systemic, a recurrent contradiction of Capitalism. Capitalism draws such actors like honey draws a fly, they are well rewarded for their 'creativity'.

[Ken Burch]

30. OK. That's a thought I hadn't heard on this before. Thanks.

n/t.

[Iggo]

23. Is it supposed to be an insult?

If so, it falls far too short.

[Octafish]

24. Money is their tool for maintaining power and controlling the populace.

That's why they do all they can to put it in the "right" hands. F'r example:

Know your BFEE: Goldmine Sacked or The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One

[uncommon]

25. Other: it sounds ignorant and obnoxious. nt

[eilen]

26. Is this post supposed to flush out the bankers on the site? nt

[Ken Burch]

27. No. Just wondering how people felt about the term.

Perhaps it might flush out a few people who are unduly deferential to "their betters".

[Ken Burch]

40. A follow-up to my original response.

No, it's not supposed to do that...but why does the idea of doing that offend you?

It's not possible to be a progressive banker.

[eilen]

41. I didn't say I was offended

I think that maybe only bankers would be offended by the term, that's why I asked.

[Ken Burch]

42. Well, as we've seen, others have been offended by it as well.

Thanks for your clarification.

[eilen]

43. I actually think it is fitting.

Bankster= Gangster.

They are loan sharks and they run numbers.

[Arkana]

29. Other.

It's a retarded, cutesy term that minimizes just how awful those assholes are.

[SidDithers]

33. Well said...nt

Sid

[Cleita]

31. I believe Thom Hartmann coined the term or at least

I first heard it from him. He's on the money. The banks today are nothing more than casinos and dishonest ones at that where the house gets everything.

[SidDithers]

32. What's wrong with "banker"?...

not Snidely Whiplash enough?

Sid

[dionysus]

37. you gotta stay hip, kid. banker is so bourgeoisie

;)

[SidDithers]

39. I prefer the term "Scrooge McDuck" anyway....

As in "Those damn Scrooge McDucks are always screwing it up for us working class stiffs".

"Daddy Warbucks" and "Rich Uncle Pennybags" are also good substitutes.

Sid

[BreweryYardRat]

34. Frankly, I think it's potentially dangerous.

We need to be righteously outraged at the C-level executives (CEO, CFO, et cetera) and Boards of Directors of the banks which committed illegal and/or grossly unethical actions. Hell, some of the bastards at Goldman Sachs ought to be swinging from a gallows for their crimes.

But a broad term like "banksters" implies that everyone who works for a bank -- any bank, in any sort of position -- is criminal. That's bullshit, and it leads to incidents like those three Greek tellers getting killed a few weeks ago. Do the schmucks blathering on about "banksters" consider handling people's deposits/withdrawals to be a capital crime now?!

Direct your anger at the specific individuals who deserve it. Don't try to whip up a frothing mob against a whole profession.

[dionysus]

35. that's a push poll.

[dionysus]

36. childish term that cheapens the argument against them

[MilesColtrane]

38. Other:

The term "bankster" slurs gangsters.

Most gang and mafia members live by a code of honor and loyalty, twisted as it is.

A banker would just as soon fuck a fellow banker as a customer, as long as there's profit in it.